Ember St. Armour reflects on her campus ministry’s spring break trip and what she learned about slowing down and being present with those you serve.
EMBER ST. ARMOUR
Big Rapids Wesley House, Ferris State University
For the fourth year in a row, spring break was a shared affair as the United Methodist campus ministries at Central Michigan University and Ferris State University joined together to show up for our neighbors in the Appalachian community of Big Creek, Kentucky.
The group, comprised of 7 FSU students, 7 CMU students, and 4 “experienced adults,” worked in several areas over the week, giving back and helping the community in whatever way the staff at Big Creek Missions needed. Each day, the group split into different teams, taking on different roles and projects with established nonprofits around the area.
One of the teams worked on helping build a ramp for a community member, Ms. Hailey, so that her family could get her in and out of her home as she loses mobility. While building the new ramp was the main goal, with some setbacks, rocky soil, and redesigns, the year-round team at Big Creek Missions also hoped to connect with the residents living there. Our team took it upon ourselves to visit with the family, hear their stories, and learn about their lives.
While the ramp team saw one project all the way through, the rest of our squad switched what they were doing throughout the week, depending on the needs and the news of the community.
One of our ongoing projects was helping at the food pantry. Ms. Molly and Ms. Betsy needed help restocking the pantry and loading the carts for community members scheduled for pickups. The storeroom in their pantry also needed some care, so we cleared some stuff out, built new shelves, and organized all their current stock to make it accessible and findable for the stocking teams coming behind us. The team split into groups and worked together to get the tasks done.
We also sent a rotating team to the local elementary school to help Ms. Connie, the librarian. The group’s goal was to help the kids with a craft and assist with tutoring and reading support at their after-school program. Having a bunch of education majors and former VBS volunteers set this team up for success as they connected with the K-5 students, ran stations, worked on phonics, and hosted at least one unicorns and dinosaurs dance party.
One day, one of our teams was invited to serve in a nursing home. They talked to the residents and heard their stories, sang karaoke with them, and sang with a church group that came to play for the residents. The team also ate lunch alongside the residents and continued to build connections with them.
On our last day in Kentucky, we also sent teams to a clothing closet and a warehouse. The clothing team sorted through thousands of donated items, removing the ones that were damaged beyond repair and creating a system to let staff find items they were looking for or that needed restocking. Our warehouse team repackaged donated food and loaded it into trucks to be transported to a park for a huge local giveaway. In the park, we set up tables as stations for the giveaway and then helped load it into cars for people who came to pick it up.
Overall, we got to slow down and hold time to be present with each other and with all these local community members. We reflected a ton about how sometimes efforts to help create other problems or undermine the dignity of the people we’re trying to serve. We observed some justice issues unique to our Appalachian friends and neighbors. We also reflected on where similar issues exist in our communities and how we might be better friends and neighbors at home every day.
Ember St. Amour is a sophomore at Ferris State University studying journalism. For two years, she’s been a part of Big Rapids Wesley House, one of the Michigan Conference’s eight United Methodist campus ministries. When she’s not working as a resident advisor, she’s probably writing for the student newspaper, The Torch.
Last Updated on April 29, 2024